Circuit-continuing device



June 3, 1930., H. A. DOUGLAS CIRCUIT CONTINUING DEVICE Filed May 9, 1929 Mvg . Patented June .3, 1936.

UNITED STATES PATENT .or-FICE DOUGLAS, l' BBONSON, MICHIGAN cracuincomnrume nnvlcn apueatibn med :my s, 1929. serial nn. 361,676.

employingincandescent lamps and in whichthe lamps are adjustable to circuit opening and circuit closing positions while remaining in assembly. In such a structure I employ a gate which closes access to and from the bayonet channel to maintain the lamp in assembly. This gate is opened when it is desired to remove the lamp.

My inventionis of' particular service in connection with the structure disclosed in my copendingy application Serial No. 361,675, filed May 9, 1929, though the invention is not to be thus limited.

The invention will be more fully explained 20 in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, a `portion being broken away and some partsV being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a view taken at right angles to the direction in which 1 is taken, parts being shown in section; ig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3 of Fi 2; Fig. 4 isa sectional view on line 4-4 o 2; Fi 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of ig. 2; ig. 6 is a view on line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and 7 is a fragmentary end view. f

`The structure illustrated is inclusive of a generally cylindrical shell 1 which isreduced atf one end and there threaded to receive a nut 2 which is employed to clamp the shoulder 3 of the shell in assembly with a support 4, which support may be the dash-board of an automotive vehicle. The largerd part of the casing may be surrounded by a nishing sheath 5. I have shown a distance preserving hollowwasher 6 which may be lnterposed between the nut and the support.V The shell constitutes a contact carrier to which end a contact carrier ring 7 of insulation, -is assembled with the rear end of the shell. This rin of insulation is provided with a metallic bushing 8 that receives a metallic sleeve 9 which 1s slidable in the bore of the bushing.

A circuit continuing conductorl() enters the `contact button whereby t sleeve 9 andA is electrically connected with a' contact button 11 at the inner end of the sleeve. A coil spring-A12 surrounds the portion of the sleeve that is within the casing. One end of this springfpresses against the bushing and the other end Elrsesses against the button is forwardly pressed. The limit to which the button may be forwardly pressed is determined f by theflange 13 which is provided upon the 60 rear end of the .sleeve 9, this flange lbeing ada ted for abutting engagement with the bus g.' A contact 14, which is comple mental to the contact 11, is provided upon a plug 15. This plug also'constitutes a base 65 of an incandescent' lamp. A filament 16 of this lamp is located within the glass bulb 17 and has one terminal connected with the contact button 14. The other terminal of this iilament is connected with a metallic sheath 15. The lamp socket 18 is provided with diametrically opposite bayonet channels `19 which receive the bayonet pins or projections 20 that are provided upon and project laterally from the plug 15. These bayonet pins or projections are receivable at the front ends of the bayonet channels and ass along the bayonet channels longitudinali;7 of the structure until the inner ends of the channels are reached whereafter the plug is turned to s0 bring the said bayonet projections into the bayonet seats.

A coil spring 21 surrounds the lamp socket and is bottomed upon the shoulder 3. The outer end of-the spring presses against the flange 22 which is formed upon the front end of -the socket whereby the socket may be moved forwardly when the spring is permitted thus to function. When the socket is thus moved forwardly the contacts 11 and 14 Q0 i are separated. When the socket is moved inwardly these contacts are en ged, the contact 11 then moving slight y to the rear against the force of the spring 12.

The socket 18 carries twodiametrically op- 95 posite bayonet pins or projections. 23 and the shell 1 isformed with two diametrically opposite bayonet slots or channels each havlng Y an entrance 2 t`extending along the structure and a transverse branch affording two seats 25 and 26 in which the corresponding bayonet pin or projection may be alternately received. The seats 25 are further forward than the seats 26, so that when the bayonet pins or projections are within the former seats, the spring 21 is rmitted to move the lamp socket forwar 1y to separate the contacts. lVhen the bayonet pins or projections are within the inner seats 26, the socket is held o in an inward position against the force of the spring 21 to establish engagement between the contacts.

I provide an actuator for moving the lamp socket and the contact carrying base therein to control the lamp circuit. This actuator is in the form of a generally cylindrical cowl 27 that has abutting and tight telescopic engagement with the lamp socket. To this end the lamp socket iiange is formed with rearward continuations that extend rearwardly and which are in the form of spring lingers 28 which, when free. expand at their tips beyond the dialneter of the bore of the cowl so as to have tight engagement with the cowl when the cowl is slipped in place. T he cowl is formed with 'an internal bead 29 which has abutting engagement with the socket tia-nge 22 to enable the cowl, when rearwardly7 pressed. to move the lamp socket and the parts carried by the lamp sockets rearwardly against the force of the spring 21 to establish the lamp circuit. It was hitherto stated that one terminal of the filament 16 was connected with the cont-.1ct button 14. The cowl is provided with an o ening 30 at its front end and in the region o the lamp bulb to enable the light to shine from the lamp to the cowl to the de.'red place that is to be illuminated. The cowl is desirably rotatable upon and with respect to the socket to enable the opening 30 to be shifted to change the direction in which the light may emanate from the lamp. 'Ihe front end of the cowl is desirably dome shaped to constitute a push button 31 by which the cowl may be conveniently manipulated to establish the lamp circuit and to shift the direction in which the light is to shine.

In order to limit the extent to which the lamp socket may be forwardly projected b the spring 21 when the cowl is removed, provide a tongue 32 upon the shell and an o )ening 33 in the lamp socket, the rear border o this opening being engaged with the rear end of the tongue by the spring 21 when the cowl is removed. In order to keep the lamp from rattling within its socket, form the socket with an inwardly projectino s ring tongue 34 which engages a side of t e amp. The longitudinal branch 24 of one of the bayonet channels in the -shell 1 receives a gate 35 by which this channel branch or entrance portion is closed against the return thereto of the corresponding bayonet projection 23 after this project-ion has passed into the generally 'transverse and seat bearing Ymy name.

portion of the channel. This gate is desirably a sliding bar that has one end received in the guiding groove 36 formed in the sheath 5, the other end of the gate being received in the bayonet groove. Groove 36 faces the shell that cooperates with sheath to form this groove into a guiding socket for the gate. ll'hen the gate is in its innermost position, the corresponding bayonet channel is in its normal shape permitting the corresponding bayonet projection to be readily inserted and withdrawn. When the gate is moved to its outermost position, after the corresponding bayonet projection is seated, `this ba onet projection cannot be withdrawn, thus 1s the separation of the lamp socket from the shell prevented. One gate obviously serves to hold both bayonet projections 23 in assembly with the shell.

Haring thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a shell; of a socket surrounded by the shell-and movable along the bore thereof; a spring pressing upon said socket; a plug within and carried' by said socket; complemcntal contacts respectively disposed upon the plug and shella plunger carried by said socket and accessible for engagement at the front end of the shell whereby said socket may be inwardly moved against the forcel of said spring, said socket and shell having `interengaging bayonet projection and channel formations for holding the socket in position to maintain said contacts in engagement; a gate for closing the entrance portion of the bayonet channel; and a sheath for the shell and forming, with the shell, a guiding socket in which said gate is received.

2. The combination with a shell; of a socket surrounded by the shell and movable along the bore thereof; a spring pressing upon said socket; a plug within and carrie-d by said socket; complemental contacts respectively disposed upon the plug and shell; a plunger carried by said socket and accessible for engagement at the front end of the shell whereby said socket may be inwardly moved against the force of said spring. said socket and shell having interengaging bayonet projection and channel formations for holding the socket in position to maintain said contacts in engagenwnt; a gate movable within the entrance portion of the bayonet channel to close the channel; and a sheath for the shell and forming, with the shell, a guiding socket in which said gate is received.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe HARRY A. DOUGLAS.

llfi 

